Is This Love?
by satine86
Summary: Makoto is a floundering restaurant owner, and Nephrite is a successful business man. Is this love? Or something else? Just silly little idea I had. R&R.. pwease?


Random thought I had (even though I should be editing Burden... but whatevs!), and spent an hour and half writing late last night. I kinda like it. Title comes from the song I was listening to at time, 'Is This Love' by Bob Marley. If you can I suggest listing to it while reading.

I have of course own nothing, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Makoto?"

"No, Norio. " The tall brunette answered, while sitting a plate down on the table.

"You can't say 'no', you don't even know what I was going to ask!"

"You were going to ask me the same thing you've asked me for the past year and a half, and the answer has been, is, and will be, 'no'!" Makoto offered him a bright smile to balance out her harsh words.

"I just can't understand why you won't go out with me?" Norio whined.

Makoto leaned in close to the business man and patted his head. "Because, while I like you as a friend and customer, you're just not my type. Now, if you'll excuse, I have paying customers to attend to." Giggling she rose to her full height and tucked the serving tray under her arm.

"Hey! I'm a paying customer." He huffed out.

"Sure, sure. When was the last time you paid your tab?" The question was accompanied by a raised eyebrow.

"I will pay that, eventually." Came the lame reply.

"Well, when you do, you'll have to tally it up yourself, because I stopped keeping track ages ago." Sticking her tongue out for good measure Makoto moved back toward the kitchen. Secretly she was glad to be away from the maddening man. Lying was never one of her strong suits, and when she had to look directly into his chocolate brown eyes and say he wasn't her type, well, that had nearly broken her.

She took a quick glance at Norio and wondered how he couldn't be her type. He was everyone's type! Tall, dark, and handsome. Not to mention extremely charming, friendly, intelligent, and he had a million watt smile that was enough to melt iron.

Makoto continued to watch him out of her peripherally vision as he took a sip of his drink, sulking in the corner booth. She thought back to when Norio and his group of friends had sauntered into her restaurant a little over a year and a half ago and quickly ended up as regulars. Makoto had been thrilled that a group of such successful men had taken a liking to her little hole in the wall, and had stuck up an easy friendship with them.

They had all teasingly hit on her in the beginning ("Oh beautiful bringer of food!" Jin had exclaimed that first night), and she had always responded flirtatiously, but it had always been in good fun. And after they all had become better acquainted, the flirting had slowly stopped. Except for Norio; who on a weekly basis would ask her out, and on a weekly basis she would refuse. She did so only because she knew he couldn't actually be serious. There was no way in hell Mr. GQ would be interested in her.

Shaking her head of such thoughts Makoto went back to work, hoping that maybe today she would actually have a profit when she ran the numbers; blissfully unaware that she was the sole object of obsession at a table three feet away.

"Why won't she go out with me? I mean, I'm good looking, right?" Norio muttered to himself.

"Because she doesn't think you're serious." A deep voice stated somewhere near his elbow. Norio looked up to see one of his oldest friends smirking at him. "Shut up Kiyoshi."

"Well, you asked." Kiyoshi said as he slid in across from Norio; whose only response was an annoyed snort as he pushed his food around his plate.

"What are you doing here anyway, man? I thought you had a date with the model tonight?" Norio finally asked, sick of the silence.

"Not until later." Norio couldn't help but notice the silly grin playing on Kiyoshi's lips, and wondered just how serious things were getting. Shaking his head at the thought he went back to watching Makoto as she flitted about, serving customers.

To say she was beautiful was a gross understatement. No, she was a goddess with emerald green eyes, smooth olive skin, and gleaming auburn curls. Her body wasn't anything to laugh at either; well toned legs that went on for miles, curves in all the right places, and huge b-

"Damn it, are you even listening to me?" Kiyoshi growled.

Norio turned to him with a dazed look, "huh?"

"I was saying that she doesn't think you're serious, and you need to do something to show her you are! You need some grand gesture." Kiyoshi waved his hand airily.

"Like what?"

"That's for you to figure out, mate." Kiyoshi checked his watch and started to slid out of the booth. "I got to go now, Minako's waiting. Good luck." He patted Norio on the shoulder before exiting out the front door.

"Thanks.." Norio mumbled, taking a sip of his tea.

************

A few hours later found Makoto running off the till and sighing.

"Why can't I at least break even? At this rate I'm going to have to file for bankruptcy and close shop." She sighed again, counting the small amount of money in the till. Tucking everything into the money bag she wandered into her office and locked it all in the safe.

As she walked back out she became aware of a persistent knocking on the door.

"I'm sorry! We're closed." She yelled, inching closer to the door.

"Makoto! It's me!"

Unbolting the door and opening it, she came face to face with Norio. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you. Can I come in?"

"Sure" Shrugging her shoulder she opened the door wider. Once he was safely inside she locked the door again and walked up the counter, where he sat waiting.

"Do you want anything?" Makoto asked, gesturing to the kitchen.

"No, I just came to give you this." Norio slid an envelope across the counter top to her.

"What is it?" She looked up to him with curious green eyes.

"Open it."

Makoto obeyed, slidding a long finger underneath the flap before pulling out a slip of paper; a check to be precise. One for a very large amount. "What the hell?"

"I told you I would settle my bill one day."

"But this is too much. Way, way too much." Makoto shook her head back and forth like a broken bobble head doll.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "It was a rough guess, plus I included sales tax.. and inflation. I also added on a tip."

"A hundred thousand dollar tip?" She raised shining green eyes up to him, and he felt a lump form in his throat. "Why?"

"Because."

"That's not a good enough answer, Norio. Why are you doing this?"

"Look, I know you're not doing very well right now, and I wanted to help. No, let me finish." He held up his hand when she opened her mouth to interrupt. "You've always said you didn't want people to take care of you, that you could do it yourself, and I respect that. More than you can know. But I'm not trying to do that, I do owe you the money. And the tip is just to help. Because I can, and I want to. " He ended softly.

"But why?" She cursed herself a hundred times a fool when her voice shook, but there wasn't anything she could to do stop it.

"I thought that was obvious?" Norio cocked his head to the side, waves of chestnut hair cascading over one broad shoulder. "I'm in love with you Makoto."

"No, you're not." She blurted out before she could think twice.

"Oh? And how do you figure that?"

"Because you're a suave, hotshot businessman straight out of GQ." She waved a hand at him, before gesturing to herself. "And I'm a hulking, loud mouth tomboy. Those two things aren't compatible; they don't fit." Makoto laced her fingers together to prove her point.

Slowly Norio reached out and caught her hands between his larger ones. Gently he pulled her hands apart and laced his fingers with hers.

"I don't know, they seem to fit pretty well to me." His rich brown eyes locked onto hers. "Want to try another reason, or am I still just not your type?" There was a small quirk to his full lips.

"No, you're definitely my type." She whimpered.

"Then why won't you go out with me?" His voice was desperate and she could only at her lap.

"Because I don't want to be hurt." Norio noticed her voice was thick with unshed tears. Slowly he lifted his free hand to cup her cheek, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"I swear on the moon and the stars that I will never hurt you. I love you Makoto. Just let me love you, please?" He pleaded.

Makoto looked into his eyes and was startled by the ferocity of the emotions shining back at her. Slowly, she nodded her head, it was a barely noticeable movement, but he caught it nonetheless and suddenly his lips were on hers. She was only vaguely aware when Norio pulled her up from her seat and wrapped his arms around her to waist, drawing her closer to his solid frame.

What she did notice, however, was the pounding of her heart and rushing of blood in her ears, the butterflies doing aerial tricks in her stomach, and the warmth that was slowly creeping over her entire body.  
Slowly Norio pulled away and gasped for air, but he couldn't help to steal a few quick pecks between deep breaths. Gently he kissed her lips, her chin, her cheek; he leisurely made his way down her neck and up to her earlobe. "Do you trust me now?"

Norio lifted his head and looked into Makoto's glazed eyes; he watched as a wicked little smile spread across her rosy lips. "I don't know, I might need a little more convincing."

"My pleasure." He laughed before capturing her lips again.

* * *

Random note I picked "Norio" for Nephrite because it means "Man of principles" and Kiyoshi for Kunzite because it either means "Quiet" or "Bright, Shining, Clear", depending on where you look, and I thought they fit. :-P


End file.
